SHARP STUDENT JUST SAYS NO TO PENCIL'S MESSAGE

TICONDEROGA, N.Y.—This is a reading comprehension exercise for children. It
is written by Susan Fineman, a reading specialist in the New Haven, Conn.,
school district.

A company is trying to erase an embarrassing mistake it made on pencils
bearing an anti-drug message.

The pencils carry the slogan "Too Cool to Do Drugs."

But a sharp-eyed fourth-grader in northern New York noticed that when the
pencils are sharpened, the message turns into "Cool to Do Drugs" and then,
simply, "Do Drugs."

As a result of the discovery by 10-year-old Kodi Mosier of Ticonderoga
Elementary School, the company, called the Bureau for At-Risk Youth of
Plainview, recalled the pencils.

"We're actually a little embarrassed that we didn't notice that sooner,"
company spokeswoman Darlene Clair said.

A new batch of pencils will have the message written in the opposite
direction, so when they are sharpened, they read "Too Cool To Do" and,
finally, "Too Cool."

For pointing out the botched message, Kodi earned his class a letter of
apology from the company and box full of T-shirts.

Why does Kodi think the company didn't catch the mistake?

"I guess they didn't sharpen their pencils," he said.

True or False?

1. The Bureau for At-Risk Youth of Plainview raises money by selling
specially designed pencils.

2. Students at Ticonderoga Elementary School were given pencils printed
with an anti-drug message.

3. The Plainview company's pencils carried the slogan: "Too Cool to Do Drugs."

4. Fourth-grader Kodi Mosier discovered that it was very difficult to write
with the pencils.

5. When the pencils were sharpened, the sharp-eyed 10-year-old noticed that
the message changed.

6. The boy wrote a letter to the company complaining that the words were
printed upside down.

7. Kodi's classmates demanded a letter of apology.

8. For pointing out the mistake, the company rewarded the youngster with a
new box of pencils.

9. It is likely that the T-shirts given to the fourth-grade class were
printed with the company's anti-drug slogan.

10. If the message were written in the opposite direction, the first word
to be removed by sharpening would be "Drugs."

Bonus: Spokeswoman Darlene Clair was embarrassed by the mistake.

Answer key: 1. False, 2. True, 3. True, 4. False, 5. True, 6. False, 7.
False, 8. False, 9. True, 10. True, Bonus: False